RSS feeds

101 in 1001

Inspired by Day Zero and a couple of friends that have undertaken the project I’ve decided to start my own 101/1001 project. The idea is simple: come up with a list of 101 really definable goals/tasks to complete within 1,001 days (2.75 years). Being the list/goal/task oriented person I am (hello, Traskpro) I think a project like this will give me an extra push for personal growth and improvement.

I started my project on Monday, April 28th, 2008. I am set to complete on Monday, January 24th, 2011 – in . As I complete each of the goals I’m going to try and keep this list up to date, and provide links to blog posts about as many of the experiences as I can write up. Without further ado my 101:

Attend 5 gallery showings (3/5)
Be it local or on the road – get out and see some art

Bake and frost a double layer cake from scratchSomehow this has become a regular occurrence

Be able to do at least 5 consecutive pull-ups
Fully extended arms to all the way over the chin.

Be able to run a full mile without stopping
Asthma be damned – I will get my lungs in shape!

Be able to walk briskly up 10 flights of stairs without breaking a sweat or breathing heavy

Be vegan for 12 consecutive days (0/12)

Become a full time employee
Be it at Microsoft or elsewhere – become a FTE within 1,001 days.

Become re-certified in CPR
It’s been so long I barely remember how to do it – a refresher is well overdue.

Buy a full-frame dSLR body
Likely stick with Canon due to the glass handcuffs. Something next gen with better light sensitivity than my current 10D.

Buy a house
two bedrooms, a basement, garage, and yardBingo! On January 16th, 2009 I became a homeowner. Go me!

Buy a scale and start to monitor my weight
What exactly do I weigh now? I’ll need to know to meet my goal of losing 15 lbs
6/1/08: I bought a scale and was horrified to discover I weighed 206lbs

Clean my condo solo for 3 months
As nice as having a cleaner is it’s important to do this on my own from time to time.The flood in my condo helped out with this one – I ended up spending about 4 months doing all my own cleaning, and to OCD levels for showing the condo no less.

Climb Rattlesnake Mountain and take a panoramic picture from the top
Head up to the top with Dave – bring a tripod for extra panoramic goodness.

Complete a 10 mile hike
A 10 mile walk won’t count – it needs to be a hike over uneven ground.

Complete a contiguous 365 photo project
A photo a day, a self-portrait a month.

Cook one complete 2 course meal from scratchSince moving into the house I’ve been cooking! I’ve gone from cooking a meal a month to 8-10 a week!

Cook one complete 3 course meal from scratch

Do not use any elevators for 21 days straight (0/21)

Donate $100 to 3 open source software projects (0/3)

Donate $100 to the ACLU
12/28/08: Contribution made

Donate $100 to the EFF
6/14/08: Donated to the EFF via TOR

Donate 1% of my GAI to charity during a single 12 month period

Enter a photography contest
Win, lose, it doesn’t matter – just enter one.
5/11/08: Two contests in a row I’ve entered the TWIPphoto contest. No wins yet, but participating is really fun!

Find a geocache

Find a new pit bull playmate for SkypeWhile not a pit bull, Skype has a new girlfriend: Domino the sheepdog!

Finish tattoo sleeves
It’s been too long in coming – it needs to get done.

Frame and hang at least 3 individual photos around the home
Fix the barren white walls. Perhaps wait to pick frames until after the painting project is complete?

Get a manicure and pedicure
I’ve never had one of either and always been curious.Fun, invigorating, but completely not necessary

Get a therapeutic massage
8/8/08: Got a massage at Banya5; very relaxing.

Get tooth implant installed

Go camping
Spend a night in the great outdoors with Skype

Go go-karting with friendsTyler introduced me to Karting at Sykart

Go on a downtown photowalk

Go one month without drinking soda\canned beverages\coffee
Juice and tea are still permitted.

Go one week only drinking water
Plain old water (tap or filtered) for a week – no coffee, tea, softdrinks, etc.

Go skydiving – buddy dive

Go skydiving – solo dive
I’ve always wanted to jump out of a plane…

Go swimming in the ocean

Learn RegEx inside and out

Leave a geocache

Lose 15 pounds
No definition needed, just drop the extra pounds for a trimmer look (starting point was 205)

Mail in a secret to PostSecret – http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

Make 5 mix CD’s for 5 friends (0/5)
Be it actual CD’s or just digital playlists share the love of music!

Make a costume for Halloween and go to a party dressed in it

Make a will
What better way to prepare for the unknown?

Make Pad-Thai from scratchIt’s so funny to think of how scared of cooking I used to be

Own a project as a product manager through one full development life-cycleHello, Volume Licensing Service Center

Paint my living room walls
Thinking something dark – a rich royal blue, or crimson red.As a side effect of buying a house this happened twice – once in my condo for the sale, then again (with colors of my choice) in the new house

Pay off the A6
To be car-payment free for a while sounds wonderfulIt’s wonderful indeed to not have a monthly car payment!

Play a game of mini-golf

Put new carpet in the living roomAnother side effect of buying the house

Re-pierce my ears

Re-read “Calvin & Hobbes”

Re-read “Jurassic Park”

Re-read LoTR trilogy

Read “Blink”

Read a Harry Potter novel

Read books by 3 new authors (0/3)

Renovate bathroom in the condoThis one got knocked out as a bonus from the flood in the condo. Go insurance!

Ride 5 separate roller coasters (0/5)

Save $10k in the house fund/emergency account
The easy goal…
8/15/08: Just broke the barrier – 20k is going to be hard if I buy a house with it as planned though

Save $20k in the house fund/emergency account
The stretch goal…

Shoot photos from the top of the Space Needle
Do this on a day with nice clear weather – wait for the sunset and shoot then as well?

Shoot wire photos with Alissa
Belmont and Olive at night – the crazy wires and the shadows they cast
5/16/08: One fun shoot later this one is knocked off the list

Show at least 5 photos publicly (1/5)

Spend 3 days using only an iPhone – no computersWhile moving from the condo to the house I spent a good 4 days relying on my iPhone for literally all my interaction with the digital world

Take photos at Prospect Point
Lensbaby shots? Brings back the old time feeling?

Take photos of miniature toys
Either in big settings, or staged as if real life.

Take photos of the sunrise and sunset of the same day

Take photos with a mirror
Show a contrast between two different viewpoints.

Take Skype to 3 new dog parks (0/3)

Try 10 new foods (0/10)
You never know what you are going to like until you try it.

Try fencing
Talk to Martin – he might be able to hook me up with a local fencing group

Visit 3 museums (0/3)

Visit a planetarium and shoot photos there
There is one in Walla Walla at Whitman – surely there is also a planetarium in Seattle as well?
Shae mentioned that the UW had a nice planetarium.

Visit a zoo and shoot photos there
Hit up the Woodland Park Zoo with Veo and Akiva?
5/19/08: I attended one of the Flickr Photo strolls to the Zoo. Takeaway lesson: I still don’t like zoos!

Visit Alcatraz Island and shoot photos there
Aside from the tours is it possible to get unfettered access to the island? Check for photo-permitting. Would make a fun weekend in San Francisco.

Visit an aquarium and shoot photos there
Bring a tripod for long moody shots in the dark depths of the water.

Visit Disney World and take photos

Visit Europe and take photos
6/13/08: I have returned from my trip to Berlin. Photo set here.

Visit Grandpa and document the memory
Make a photo-essay out of what will likely be my final visit with GrandpaI’ve now visited Grandpa twice. I took some photos, but suddenly I’m hesitant to document it. I don’t want to remember him this way.

Visit Japan and shoot photos8
Shoot the temples, gardens, and Tokyo

Visit New York and take photos

Visit the Morning Star Ranch
Document my teenage years before they slip away from the grasp of memory

Visit the Oregon coast and take photos
Take a swim while you are there – 2 birds with one stone!

Walk at least 60 minutes a day for a month (0/30)
Great exercise for both myself and for Skype.

Watch 100 of IMDB’s top 250 movies – http://imdb.com/chart/top
I’ve already seen 65 of them – that leaves 35 left to go as of the start.

Watch at least five of the 2009 Oscar winners

Watch the 1st season of “Heroes”

Watch the 1st season of “Lost”

Watch the 1st season of “The Shield”

Watch the 4th season of BSGI was actually a little disappointed with the ending.